Graduate Programs
The Department offers several programs of study leading to the M.A. and Ph.D. degrees. MA programs are designed to prepare students for doctoral level work in classical studies, though from different perspectives and with varying requirements. The PhD program is designed for more advanced students and seeks to prepare students for careers in research and teaching at the secondary school and college levels. Detailed information about the department's graduate programs can be found in its Graduate Student Handbook.
Students are encouraged to study the particulars of each program with care and to consult with the Director of Graduate Studies when making decisions about which program to enter. Students in some programs may also prepare themselves for a career teaching Latin in the schools, and the Department cooperates with the Foreign Language Education Program in the University in order to help future teachers to meet state certification requirements.
All graduate students are required, during their first fall semester in residence, to take CLA 5936 (proseminar). All students must also demonstrate competence in a modern foreign language (French, German or Italian): this is accomplished (i) by completing 12 semester hours of college level work with a grade point average of 3.0 or above, (ii) by earning a 480 or above on the appropriate examination in the Graduate School Foreign Language Tests administered by ETS, or (iii) by passing FRE 5069, GER 5069 or ITA 5069. Graduate students are required to maintain a 3.0 grade point average in all graduate work, and no course in Classics for which a student receives a grade of C or below may count toward any graduate degree in the Department. No more than three hours at the 4000 level will count toward any MA degree.
All students are expected, before arranging their comprehensive or translation exams or commencing work on a thesis, to select a major professor. The major professor will help the student to select his or her MA or PhD committee, will direct the student's exams or thesis and will work with the Director of Graduate Studies in order to be certain that the student has met every requirement for the MA or PhD degree. Students are urged to select a major professor by the conclusion of their first year (changes are permitted). Comprehensive and translation exams will ordinarily be given during one week of each term: in the fall term, it will be the second week in November; in the spring term, it will be the week following the spring break. Exams may also be given during the summer, but it will be the student's responsibility to arrange them well in advance and there is no obligation on the part of the faculty to agree to summer exams.
For more information on course offerings and requirements, please see the Classics General Bulletin.
Deadlines
The receipt deadline for all applications is January 15.
Funding
We are pleased to be able to offer strong financial support to both Ph.D. students and MA students. It is our policy to fully fund all admitted Ph.D. students for five years. Ours is one of the few MA programs to offer funding to a large majority of its MA-level students, primarily through teaching assistantships. Additional financial support for both Ph.D. and MA students is available for graduate travel and research through the department's multiple endowments and from faculty grants. The department regularly supports students attending international programs, delivering conference papers, and studying abroad.
How to Apply
Applications are submitted online. Follow the instructions for the online application detailed by FSU Graduate Admissions. As part of the application process, you will need to provide the following:
- Statement of Purpose describing your background and why you intend to pursue Classics at the graduate level
- 3 letters of recommendation (your letter writers will be able to submit their letters online as well)
- 1 sample of your written work, not to exceed 20 pages
- CV or resume
- Official transcripts from each university or college attended
Note that the general university deadlines as listed on the Graduate Admissions site are not the same as the departmental deadline, listed above, for funding consideration. All materials must be received by January 15 in order to ensure that your application be considered for funding.
Admission Requirements
The minimum admission requirements for all programs leading to the MA are:
- A Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree; A 3.0 undergraduate grade point average (GPA) in all upper-division work;
- Sufficient undergraduate work in Classics to warrant study on the graduate level.
The minimum requirements for admission to the doctoral program are:
- A Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Master of Arts (MA) degree in Classics or related field;
- A 3.6 GPA overall and 3.8 GPA in upper division coursework;
- Sufficient language skills in Greek and Latin to begin graduate-level coursework (normally two years each of college-level Greek and Latin with average grades of at least “A–”);
- Well-developed writing abilities.
Please note the GRE has been waived for both our MA and PhD programs.
